Member-only story
FICTION | JAPAN | MAGIC
A town of secrets
In the aftermath of a tragedy
The dark entrance leading to a crawl space within the tavern’s wall appeared ominous to Keal. “You know what. I don’t think it’s a good idea, after all.’ Darri had strong-armed him through the streets, and now the pair stood at the threshold of the unknown.
Darri rolled his eyes at the protest and fought back in hushed tones. “Relax! You’re not gonna get caught. It’s risky, of course. But that’s the whole point, mudbrain. The elders are meeting here tonight, everyone knows it, and I wanna listen in. You’re not chickening out on me?”
The ruse evoked the desired response in the younger Keal. “I’m no chicken, Darri. I just, I just..”
“What?”
The question pierced with pinpoint precision, and Keal fell silent. When there were no more interruptions, Darri motioned to the wall entrance. Keal nodded, knowing what to do; it was why Darri brought him here. He opened his palm and focused intently on it. Flickers of luminescent ghost fire ignited in the palm of his hand and grew into a glob of smoldering light. Without another word, Keal hurled the cold flame at the wall. It stuck itself to the building timber, but didn’t burn. Instead, much-needed light was cast in the darkened space. It would last for a…
